Fiddler on the Roof

Description

Fiddler on the Roof, a 1971 musical comedy-drama film, is an adaptation of the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name. It is based on the story, Tevye and His Daughters by Sholom Aleichem.

“The film centers on the Tevye family, a Jewish family living in the town of Anatevka, in Russian Empire, in 1905. Anatevka is broken into two sections: a small Orthodox Jewish section; and a larger Russian Orthodox Christian section. Tevye notes that, “We don’t bother them, and so far, they don’t bother us.” Throughout the film, Tevye breaks the fourth wall by talking at times, directly to the audience or to the heavens (to God), for the audience’s benefit. Much of the story is also told in musical form.

“Tevye is not wealthy, despite working hard, like most Jews in Anatevka, and also due to having many children. He and his sharp tongued wife, Golde, have five daughters and cannot afford to give them much in the way of dowries. According to their tradition, they have to rely on the village matchmaker, Yente, to find them husbands. Life in the little town of Anatevka is very hard and Tevye speaks not only of the difficulties of being poor but also of the Jewish community’s constant fear of harassment from their non-Jewish neighbors. In addition, Tevye has a lame horse, that adds to the misery of being poor, and has to pull the wagon by himself.”  [From Wikipedia]

“Directed by Norman Jewison, conducted by John Williams, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, this musical masterpiece earned eight Academy Award Nominations and won three Oscars.”  [From cover]